(Read full post)

Posted by Deputy Editor Mark Tennis

*Player of the Year JESSICA SPIGNER (pictured) of California and Coach of the Year ED STEELE of Virginia headline 30-player first team; 30 players also selected to second team.

Torrance, Calif. - It's been two years in a row that Southern California's Valencia High has had a legitimate national player of the year candidate in softball. A year ago, record-breaking pitcher Jordan Taylor just missed out because the player that was selected was a standout as a pitcher and a hitter. This year, doing both so well is the difference in Viking standout Jessica Spigner getting the top honor and today she has been named as the EA SPORTS National Player of the Year.

Spigner is one of 30 players who have been chosen as first team 2008 EA SPORTS All-Americans. Seven others from California also are on the first team with seven more from the Golden State on second team. Arizona was another state that did especially well this year with five first team EA SPORTS All-Americans and three on second team.

In addition to the players, Ed Steele from Broad Run High of Virginia, which was No. 1 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings, has been chosen EA SPORTS National Coach of the Year.

"We're proud to honor these young women and are looking forward to seeing these players continue to compete at a high level as they move on in their softball careers," said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Director of Sports Marketing. "The EA SPORTS All-American honor is becoming one of the best in high school athletics because of the way they are done and because of the people who do the research behind the scenes. These student-athletes truly represent the best in the game in high school athletics."

Spigner, who already has been named CalHiSports.com's Ms. Softball State Player of the Year, was the reported state leader in pitching wins with 29. She also had a 0.62 ERA with 222 strikeouts, 12 shutouts and one perfect game. She was at her best in the CIF Southern Section Div. I playoffs with a two-hit shutout of unbeaten Simi Valley in the championship game, which prevented Simi Valley from finishing No. 1 in the nation.

In the semifinal round of those playoffs, Spigner was the winning pitcher and hit two home runs when Valencia downed nationally-ranked Santiago of Corona, 3-2. Valencia's title was its second in a row and the team ended at No. 9 in the final FAB 50.

As a junior, Spigner was an infielder playing behind Taylor, a senior pitcher who went 32-0. With those two, the Vikings ended up at 32-1 and were No. 1 in the nation. After Taylor departed to the University of Michigan, Spigner returned to her pitching roots and by the end of the season there may not have been a better pitcher in the nation.

Spigner's mostly known for her hitting and fielding, not pitching . As a hitter this year, the two home runs in the playoff game gave her 12 for the season. She also had a .480 average with 38 RBI and 37 runs scored. In the playoffs alone, she reached base 15 times out of 18 plate appearances, primarily because she was walked so frequently.

In addition to her softball exploits, Spigner was equally talented in the classroom. She had a 4.2 GPA during her senior year and had an overall GPA of 3.91 through her four years of high school. She has been named the CIF Southern Section Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Steele has been the guiding force behind a Broad Run program that has gone 83-1 over the last three years and won back-to-back Virginia state crowns. This year's team also improved its winning streak to 57 games and did not give up a run, earned or unearned, in its last 160 consecutive innings. Steele has been the head softball coach for the Spartans since 1992. Assistant coach Dave Morris also was instrumental in the success of this year's team.

FIRST TEAM
2008 EA SPORTS SOFTBALL ALL-AMERICANS

Catcher - Brittany Arredondo (Smithson Valley, Spring Branch, Texas) Sr.
The San Antonio area player of the year also wrapped up her high school career as a four-time super all-state selection. She batted .508 with 42 RBI and scored 52 runs. Arredondo also stole 21 bases while only being caught once. She will head to Tennessee where she plans to play shortstop.

Catcher - Amanda Chidester (Cabrini, Allen Park, Mich.) Sr.
University of Michigan recruit was a first team All-American last season and repeats that honor. Her team finished as the Division 3 state runnerup, after winning two straight Division 4 state titles, with a 37-3-1 record. Chidester batted .440 with eight home runs and 34 RBI but was walked 47 times and had .991 fielding average. Foes pitched around her after she hit .730 with 16 homers and a national record 90 RBI as junior.

Catcher - Ashley Hansen (Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz.) Sr.
Named as the Arizona Republic's big schools state player of the year, Hansen led her team to a runner-up finish in its division of the state playoffs this season. On the year, she hit .636 with 32 of her 77 hits for extra bases. She also scored 57 times, had 42 RBI and hit seven homers in her final season. Hansen was a USA Junior Olympics player last summer and tried out for the U.S. Olympic Team. She will head to Stanford next year.

Catcher - Perelini Koria (San Pedro, Calif.) Sr.
One of six finalists to be state player of the year in California, Koria is going to national powerhouse Arizona after setting the state record for career home runs. She hit 13 homers this year after ripping 17 as a junior and put her new state record total at 45. She also had a .463 batting average with 44 hits, 44 RBI and was walked 18 times. Her team at San Pedro won the CIF L.A. City Section title.

Pitcher - Kirsten Allen (Ryle, Union, Ky.) Sr.
University of Oklahoma recruit had 34-3 record with 29 shutouts, 11 no-hitters and four perfect games this season. She struck out over 400 batters. In her career, she set six state records, including 41 no-hitters and 15 perfect games. Allen's four other records were for career strikeouts with 1,838, career wins with a 142-22 total, and career shutouts with 110.

Pitcher - Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas) Sr.
It's hard to argue that Canion isn't worthy of being named All-American when she didn't lose all year and ended with a jaw dropping 0.10 ERA. She won 23 games along with a tie in the circle and struck out 281 batters. With her in the circle, Aledo won the Class 4A state title and was No. 3 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 with a 38-1-1 record. Canion has been named the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Player of the year and will head to Baylor next season.

Pitcher - Lindsey Dunlap (Hueytown, Hueytown, Ala.) Sr.
State's Miss Softball honoree led 61-5-2 record Golden Gophers to third state title in four years, and first in largest Class 6A, while earning second class MVP honor. The left-handed Mississippi State recruit had 442 season strikeouts and 1,646 in career and was 41-1 this season. In 31 tournament innings, she struck out 59 batters.

Pitcher - Dallas Escobedo (St. Mary's, Phoenix, Ariz.) Soph.
Escobedo didn't quite throw every single inning of the Knights' season like she did last year but still threw in all but two games for a total of 229.2 innings. She ended with a 0.52 ERA, striking out 479 compared to just 26 walks. Escobedo also threw six no-hitters and a perfect-game in her first nine outings of the year in the circle. At the plate, she also hit .379 with 47 RBI and eight homers. In a span of three games she threw 25 innings without allowing a hit with back-to-back nine-inning no-hitters followed by a perfect game. Despite her young age, Escobedo already has committed to NCAA champion Arizona State.

Pitcher - Rachele Fico (Masuk, Monroe, Conn.) Jr.
Masuk High's all-star finished the season with 12 no-hitters and seven perfect games in the circle. One of those no-hitters came in the pressure-packed state championship game against Naugatuck, where Fico took the 1-0 win and earned Most Valuable Player honors. Just a junior, the hurler had an impressive 486 strikeouts in 195 innings and an ERA of 0.07. Fico also contributed at the plate with a .424 batting average, 21 runs scored and 20 RBI in 27 games.

Pitcher - Kenzie Fowler (Canyon del Oro, Tucson, Ariz.) Jr.
Fowler picks up another award to go with Southern Arizona player of the year and Gatorade National Player of the Year honors. She led the Dorados to the Class 4A Division I championship as she went 24-1 on the year with a 0.28 ERA. In 148.2 innings, she struck out 309 and had four no-hitters on the year. At the plate, she hit .448 with 33 RBI and scored 14 times. Fowler is perhaps the most inspirational player on this team as she bounced back from life-threatening surgery and eight days spent in intensive care last spring.

Pitcher - Jolene Henderson (Sheldon, Sacramento, Calif.) Jr.
The state junior player of the year in California led Sheldon to a second straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title and No. 4 spot in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings. Henderson, a two-time player of the year by the Sacramento Bee and already committed to Cal, went 30-1 with a 0.41 ERA and struck out 326 batters. She also batted for a .400 average and had five homers with 31 RBI.

Pitcher - Brittany O'Donnell (Red Bank Catholic, Red Bank, N.J.) Jr.
O'Donnell dominated the circle this year finishing 25-2 with a 0.11 ERA, not to mention 353 strikeouts in 179 innings. She completed her junior season having thrown 11 no-hitters and two perfect games. The last game she threw was a tight one in the state championship against Immaculate Heart, which she won 1-0. She also provided quite a bit of offense for Red Bank, hitting .469 on the season with 17 RBI. The New Jersey player of the year already has committed to Notre Dame.

Pitcher - Sam Skillingstad (Shadle Park, Spokane, Wash.) Sr.
Despite ending her prep career with her only loss of the season in the state championship, Skillingstad still was named Seattle Times Class 4A Player of the Year and Gatorade State Player of the Year. On the year, she went 28-1 with a 0.39 ERA while pitching every game for the Highlanders, who finished 28-1. Skillingstad also hit .417 with 37 RBI and was a three-time all-state selection. She finished her high school career 97-7 and will now head to the University of Oregon.

Pitcher - Jaclyn Traina (Naples, Fla.) Soph.
Traina was an express line to victory for Naples this season, especially in the Class 4A state final when she led her team past Pembroke Pines Charter and denied Pembroke the mythical national title. Traina, the Gatorade State Player of the Year, led Naples to a 28-3 record. She went 21-3 in the circle with a 0.35 ERA. She also had 253 strikeouts in 138 1/3 innings.

Infield - Katelyn Boyd (Horizon, Scottsdale, Ariz.) Sr.
Boyd's numbers in Arizona were simply off the charts. The scholarship recipient to NCAA champ Arizona State set eight single-season school records. She hit .690 on the year and had an on-base percentage of .780. Boyd also scored 59 runs, walked 37 times and had 61 RBI. Despite walking as much as she did, she still had 58 hits and 12 homers.

Infield - Felecia Harris (Kentlake, Kent, Wash.) Sr.
Harris could have been named multi-purpose, but fit in best as an infielder where she played earlier in her high school career and where she probably will play in college. She was named to the All-State softball first team after a standout season of hitting, pitching and fielding, and will be headed to the University of Washington next season. Harris, who was her league's MVP in all four years of her Kentlake career, holds school records for home runs, RBI, strikeouts and wins.

Infield - Trina Harrison (Oceanside, Calif.) Sr.
One of the best pure hitters and power hitters nationally, Harrison was pitched around frequently this season but still tied the CIF San Diego Section record for home runs with 17 and had a .639 average with 40 RBI. She also pushed her career home run total to 41, which would have been a new state record except that fellow EA SPORTS All-American Perelini Koria finished with an even higher total. She didn't go more than two straight games without homering all season long.

Infield - Stephanie Kirkpatrick (Plainfield Central, Plainfield, Ill.) Sr.
Although Plainfield fell to Naperville Central in the finals, Kirkpatrick led her team all the way to the title game with her offense this season. She rewrote the record books her four years at Plainfield Central and graduated as the career leader in hits and runs scored. She batted .513 on the season with a .631 on-base percentage and a 1.094 slugging percentage. On top of that she drove in 23 runs and scored 44 for the Wildcats. Kirkpatrick will play next at the University of Michigan.

Infield - Kelly Saco (Palmetto, Miami, Fla.) Sr.
While Jackie Traina of Naples was the top honoree in the Gatorade State Player of the Year selections, Saco won the vote among the state's media to be called this year's Miss Softball. Saco was a part-time pitcher and part-time first baseman for Palmetto, but was a full-time standout. She pitched in the team's biggest games, leading it to the Class 6A state title with a 16-2 record, 168 strikeouts and a 0.40 ERA. Saco also was dangerous with the bat as she ended with a .338 average with seven homers and 30 RBI.

Infield - Jessica Spigner (Valencia, Calif.) Sr.
University of Tennessee-bound player is the 2008 EA SPORTS National Player of the Year. She didn't play in the infield this year as a pitcher-hitter, but she did for three years previously and will be a third baseman for the Volunteers. Listing her as an infielder was simply a way we could get more top pitchers or top pitcher-hitters the national recognition they deserved.

Outfield - Caitlin Bayley (Xavier Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.) Sr.
Legging out 14 triples in a single season is among several impressive feats that Bayley turned in this spring. The all-state pick by the Arizona Republic also had a .561 batting average and piled up 69 total hits. Bayley, who has signed with the University of Arizona, also led Xavier to the Class 5A Division I state semifinals.

Outfield - Andrea Harrison (Pacifica, Garden Grove, Calif.) Sr.
Following in the footsteps of older sister Monica to UCLA, Andrea enjoyed a banner season and was named the Orange County Register player of the year. The first-team all-state pick had a .397 batting average with 13 homers and 44 RBI. She also scored 34 times and had 21 extra-base hits.

Outfield - Jamia Reid (Kennedy, La Palma, Calif.) Sr.
One of the best leadoff hitting prospects ever from Orange County (which is the home of the No. 1 and No. 2 batters for the current U.S. National Team), Reid had a .532 batting average for the season and led Kennedy to a 29-4 record. She had 50 hits, 28 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. Reid also went 18-for-24 over her last six games. She'll now head with twin sister Elia to the University of California.

Outfield - Kelli Wheeler (Lassiter, Marrieta, Ga.) Sr.
With a .585 batting average, .664 on-base percentage, 50 runs scored and 40 RBI, Wheeler led the Trojans to the Class 5A state championship this season. The centerfielder ended her high school career as the Class 5A state player of the year and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year. Wheeler, who also carried a 4.32 GPA, is playing next at the University of North Carolina.

Multi-Purpose - Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) Sr.
The CIF San Diego Section player of the year had a 0.20 ERA in the circle and dropped just one decision, although that one was in the playoffs and denied Escondido its chance of perhaps finishing No. 1 in the state. She also averaged two strikeouts per inning and with the bat hit for a .420 average with 26 RBI. Akamine is headed in the fall to Penn State.

Multi-Purpose - Audrey Broyles (Pembroke Pines Charter, Pembroke, Fla.) Sr.
Broyles started strong this year, helping her team to the NIKE Faster to First tournament championship, and she continued to carry her team for 30 straight games. The lone loss was to Naples in the Class 4A state final, but that doesn't take away from the year that Broyles had on the mound and offensively. She finished with a 0.39 ERA and 156 strikeouts. At the plate she hit .449 with 25 RBI. Her pitching and hitting efforts together earned her the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Class 6A-5A-4A Player of the Year honor.

Mulit-Purpose - Caitlyn Delahaba (Broad Run, Ashburn, Va.) Sr.
You could have asked for a lot from Delahaba before the season started but it would've been crazy to ask her to put up the numbers she did. The Broad Run standout went 27-0 in the circle and didn't allow an earned run. Delahaba threw 10 no-hitters and in 181 innings she struck out 421. She also finished the season with 23 straight shutouts and 160 consecutive scoreless innings to set a state record. At the plate, Delahaba, who is headed to Villanova this fall, hit .361 with 19 RBI.

Multi-Purpose - Tomi Garrison (Garland, Texas) Sr.
The Sam Houston State signee was named District 10-5A MVP and Player of the Year in the Dallas area after going 25-4-2 with a 0.72 ERA while striking out 243. Garrison also led Garland to another appearance in the Class 5A final four after the Owls took home state titles in her sophomore and junior seasons. Without their top three hitters from last year, Garrison was relied on even more on offense and responded by hitting .456 with 16 doubles and 46 RBI. She finished her high school career at 97-12-4.

Multi-Purpose - Kamerin May (Santiago, Corona) Jr.
The Riverside County player of the year and first team all-state pick was tough as nails in every game. As a pitcher, May went 26-4 with a 0.73 ERA and had 17 shutouts. May, who also struck out 311 batters, batted .400 and had six homers with 30 RBI. She won three head-to-head matchups vs. Norco and best friend Teagan Gerhart. If Gerhart and Norco had won at least one of those games, she would have been on the first team as well. It's just about a lock that both will be All-Americans plus national and state player of the year candidates next year.

Multi-Purpose - Constance Orr (Butler, Matthews, N.C.) Sr.
After losing All-American pitcher Ashton Ward to the University of Tennessee, many thought this would be a down year for Butler. Those thoughts were put to rest as Orr stepped up and led the team to its third state championship in a row. She was a force to be reckoned with in the circle, never losing a game the whole year. Her ERA was a staggering 0.02. It stood at 0.00 until the playoffs. Orr also was among the unbeaten team's leaders in just about all offensive categories. She will play next at the University of North Carolina.

Posted By Deputy Editor Mark Tennis 

Congratulations to the following players for being named either first team overall or second team overall for the 2008 All-State Softball Team, released exclusively by CalHiSports.com. Our all-state teams are based on the following criteria: 1. Other honors already received; 2. Representation of championship teams; 3. Geographic representation; 4. Significant statistics; 5. Opinions gathered from others (prep writers, coaches, yes, some parents). Note: This is not a list of the 30 best players because certain positions have to be filled. A mininum of three outfielders must be listed as well as at least two catchers on every all-state softball team that is chosen.

	Perelini Koria hit 45 home runs during state record-breaking career.

ALL-STATE SOFTBALL FIRST TEAM OVERALL
(Regardless of school size or year in school)

C - Perelini Koria (San Pedro) Sr.
The final homer of her high school record-setting career in her final at bat gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead as they defeated El Camino Real to capture the L.A. City Section title. Koria hit 13 homers on the year to finish her career with 45, which is good for the top spot in the state record book. She batted .463 with 44 hits and 44 RBI and walked 18 times. After hitting 17 homers last year to set her first state record (that one was broken this year), Koria had another great season and is headed next to national power Arizona.

C - Dani Yudin (Tesoro, Las Flores) Sr.
A four-year all-leaguer headed to UCLA, Yudin was the top hitter in the competitive South Coast League. She ended up at .449 overall and was among the league leaders in several other offensive categories. Yudin called every pitch for the Titans for the last four years and also was a standout in the clutch, especially with a game-winning homer in the playoffs this year vs. Norwalk. The most impressive total for her, though, was her perfect grades. She was, in fact, class valedictorian at Tesoro.

C - Lindsey Ziegenhirt (Sheldon, Sacramento) Jr.
Along with pitcher Jolene Henderson, Ziegenhirt was a major force for a team that ended up ranked No. 1 in the state. She had 45 hits in 101 at bats for a .446 average while scoring 36 times and knocked in 47. She had 22 extra-base hits including 14 doubles and six home runs. Two of the homers came in one game at the Nike Faster to First tourney where she was one of the most impressive players.

Lisa Akamine of Escondido has been picked as the San Diego Section player of the year.

P - Lisa Akamine (Escondido) Sr.
Led the Cougars to a 27-1-2 record and top national ranking until they were upset in the playoffs. On the year, Akamine dropped just one decision as she was 13-1 with a miniscule 0.20 ERA. She averaged two strikeouts per inning and has been named the San Diego Section Player of the Year. With the bat, Akamine hit .420 on the year with 26 RBI and will be headed to Happy Valley in the fall to join the Penn State Nittany Lions. She also was considered one of six finalists for the 2008 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year honor.

P - Erin Arevalo (East Union, Manteca) Sr.
Arevalo picked up her third straight Stockton Record Player of the Year award and was named our Medium Schools State Player of the Year after her final season with the Lancers. She led East Union to its second straight Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship game but for the second straight year lost the best-of-three championship series to Bear River after winning game one. Arevalo, who also hit .318 with 16 RBI, left her mark as one of the top strikeout pitchers in state history. She struck out 492 batters on the year which places her in the top 10 on the all-time state list as she went 26-6 with a 0.21 ERA. Arevalo will become a Bulldog next year as she is headed to the University of Georgia.

P - Teagan Gerhart (Norco) Jr.
Another finalist for the Ms. Softball State Player of the Year honor, Gerhart went 27-6 with a 0.57 ERA and 19 shutouts. In 222 innings, she struck out 381 and allowed an average of under three hits a game. Gerhart primarily hit leadoff and finished with a .376 average with three homers and 19 RBI. Gerhart shared the L.A. Times Pitcher of the Year award with Destiny Rodino of Hart, who she outdueled in a 1-0 game in the section quarterfinals. She will be headed to Stanford after next season where her brother, Toby, is at playing baseball and football for the Cardinal.

P - Jolene Henderson (Sheldon, Sacramento) Jr.
A threat both at the plate with her bat and in the circle with the ball in her hand, Henderson nearly led her team to the top spot in the nation. Just a junior, she is the front-runner for next year's Ms. Softball award after leading the Huskies to a section championship and nearly winning the award this year. Henderson was named the Sacramento Bee's Player of the Year for the second straight season after striking out 326 batters, finishing the season 30-1 with a 0.41 ERA and was also the Delta River League Pitcher of the Year. She also hit for a .400 average and belted five homers with 31 RBI. Henderson, along with fellow all-state pick Lindsey Ziegenhirt, has committed to Cal.

P - Marissa Ibarra (San Benito, Hollister) Jr.
Ibarra picked up her third straight section championship game victory as the Haybalers defeated Gilroy 8-3 in the Central Coast Section Div. I final. She was named most outstanding pitcher in her league and for the season went 24-4 with 22 complete games and 162 strikeouts. Ibarra, who tossed 17 shutouts and two no-hitters, is on pace to break into the state record book next year in two categories, career wins and career shutouts.

P - Taylor Petty (San Pedro) Sr.
Led to Pirates in the circle to their 15th L.A. City Section title in school history with a two-hit, 14-strikeout performance in a 3-1 win over El Camino Real. Petty went over 1,000 strikeouts in her career during the section semifinals with 999 and finished her career with 1,025. On the year, she lost just one game while winning 25 with a 0.71 ERA. She was named our state sophomore of the year in 2006 and twice has been the South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year, including this year. She heads to Long Beach State with an 87-8 record for her high school career.

	Scott Kurtz
	Jolene Henderson lifted Sheldon of Sacramento to 32-2 record and state's top ranking.

P - Destiny Rodino (Hart, Newhall) Jr.
Rodino had no problem rebounding from knee surgery to go 24-5 in her junior year. She threw 13 shutouts and ended the season with a 0.41 ERA. In 190 innings, she struck out 229, including a season-high 14 in a 6-0 win over Chaparral of Temecula. In the section quarterfinals, Rodino retired the first 10 batters against Norco but allowed a lone run in the eighth to lose 1-0.

INF - Courtney Craig (El Camino, Oceanside) Sr.
The most accomplished player for a team that ripped the cover off the ball all year, Craig hit .447 in her final season with the Wildcats with 51 hits and 24 RBI. All 11 of her extra-base hits were for homers as she scored 47 runs on the year. Criag is headed to the University of Texas and will become a Longhorn next season.

INF - Sam Fischer (Simi Valley) Sr.
This standout senior led one of the top teams in the nation by not only swinging a sweet bat but was nearly flawless in the infield. From the number four spot in the batting order, Fischer batted .471 with 32 RBI. She reached double-digits in home runs with 11 while touching home for a run 34 times. Only once all season did Fischer (Loyola Marymount signer) go two games in a row without a hit.

INF - Meredith Hackett (Santiago, Corona) Sr.
Hackett broke her own school record that she set last year with seven home runs by hitting nine home runs this year while batting cleanup for the No. 13 nationally-ranked Sharks, who reached the section semifinals before having their season come to an end. On the year, Hackett hit .400 with 32 RBI and 36 runs. She has signed to play first base next season for Illinois and the Fighting Illini.

INF - Trina Harrison (Oceanside) Sr.
She was probably the best player in the state this season from a losing team. Harrison tied the San Diego Section single-season home run record with 17 and moved to No. 2 all-time for the state in career homers with 41. She twice hit homers in three straight games while not going more than two games without a homer all season long. Despite the Pirates' struggles and teams pitching around her, she still hit .639 with 40 RBI. Harrison also walked 21 times and struck out just three times while scoring 39 runs.

INF - Baillie Kirker (Crescenta Valley, La Crescenta) Jr.
Another slugging sensation, Kirker set the CIF Southern Section single-season record with 18 homers and was named co-Player of the Year in Division III along with Holly Constendine of La Serna. The Falcons with started the season 29-0 before losing in the section semifinals. Kirker already has committed to Arizona and hit .673 with 47 runs and 66 RBI.

Trina Harrison hammered out 41 home runs during her career at Oceanside.

INF - Juliana Santos (Orestimba, Newman) Sr.
Small schools state player of the year battled her way through Crohn's Disease to become one of the most feared hitters in the state as Orestimba captured its second straight Sac-Joaquin Section championship. In the 12-0 mercy-rule shortened championship game win, she was walked intentionally her first three at bats which included one with the bases loaded. During the regular season, Santos hit .667 with a section-best 55 RBI thanks to 21 doubles and 11 homers. She was a standout student as well with a 4.0 GPA and is heeaded to Baton Rouge to become an LSU Tiger.

INF - Christine Thomsen (Bullard, Fresno) Sr.
She's from a program that has been No. 1 in the nation before and graduates as the best hitter the school has ever had. As a senior, Thomsen hit .544 with 62 hits, 36 runs scored and 15 doubles. For her career, she makes the all-time state record book for hits (173) and doubles (33). Thomsen also has a career batting average of .455. She only struck out once all year, had a 20-game hitting streak to end the season and only made one error on defense. Thomsen will play next at Colorado State.

INF - Delaney Willard (Camarillo) Sr.
Camarillo's Athlete of the Year also has already won the team's Jessica Mendoza Award in her final season with the Scorpions. She hit .423 with 31 RBI continuing the school's tradition of strong shortstop play. Willard, the daughter of head coach Jack Willard, tied a national record with two grand slams in an inning. She already has been named All-Ventura County and All-CIF Southern Section and is headed to Brigham Young University next season.

INF - Shawna Wright (Lancaster) Jr.
Wright has set herself to be in the mix to perhaps break the state all-time career home run record next year. She belted out 11 more this year after getting 14 as a sophomore and 11 as a freshman for a total of 36 in three years. Wright also knocked in 43 runs on the year while hitting .410. She crossed the plate herself 38 times while walking 21 times and striking out just three times. Wright had her best game in a 11-3 win over Quartz Hill as she was 3-for-3 with three homers and seven RBI. She followed that game with another homer and six RBI in a win over Littlerock for her third time having homers in consecutive games.

INF - Anissa Young (Bloomington) Sr.
In addition to Perelini Koria and Trina Harrison hitting more career homers this year than anyone in California history, Young also may have done that as well. She hit 14 this year after 14 from last year for a career total that is between 38 and 40. If she had more than three as a freshman (her exact total for that season is still not available), she'd be ahead of the previous state record holder before this season. Young already has been named Bloomington's Female Athlete of the Year and was the Sunkist League MVP. As a member of the Cal Lite 18 Gold AAU team she was the Spring Jamboree Tournament MVP after batting .611 with three homers, two doubles and 12 RBI.

OF - Andrea Harrison (Pacifica, Garden Grove) Sr.
In her final season before heading to UCLA, Harrison hit .397 with 35 runs and 44 RBI for the Mariners. The Orange County Register Player of the Year had 21 extra-base hits, including 13 homers and scored 34 times. She had a season-best four RBI game against Loara of Anaheim as her lone hit of the game was a grand slam homer. Harrison had two seven-game hitting streaks as she had hits in 14 of her first 15 games.

OF - Tiffany Messerschmidt (Thousand Oaks) Sr.
Ended her season on a 15-game hitting-streak to finish the year hitting .486 for the Lancers. On the year, Messerschmidt was 51-for-105 with 16 RBI and scored 31 runs. She's bound for BYU where she should have no problem showing her speed since she set a new Thousand Oaks record for career steals. Messerschmidt was named the Marmonte League Offensive Player of the Year, which is significant since that also is the same league as Simi Valley.

OF - Jamia Reid (Kennedy, La Palma) Sr.
Speedy leadoff hitter batted .532 on the year for the Fighting Irish with an even 50 hits in 94 at bats. Reid also scored 28 times and knocked in 14 runs. She finished the season on fire with 18 hits in 24 at bats over the last six games but the Fighting Irish blew a 3-0 lead and lost 4-3 to El Modena in the section semifinals. Reid, who will join twin sister Elia at Cal, stole 20 bases and was only caught four times.

MP - Stefanie Barnes (James Logan, Union City) Sr.
The Fremont Argus Player of the Year was a strong blend of pitching, hitting and smarts. Blessed with a 3.93 GPA through her four years at James Logan, Barnes was among the leaders in the CIF North Coast Section for pitching wins (25), strikeouts (277), runs batted in (32) and shutouts (15). Barnes also had a 0.50 ERA, batted for a .427 average and hit three homers.

Stefanie Barnes was just as strong in class as she was in the circle.

MP - Allie Crump (Elk Grove) Sr.
All you need to know about Crump is that she beat Sheldon of Sacramento and ace Jolene Henderson in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. She matched Henderson nearly pitch-for-pitch later on in the double-elimination tourney as well but lost a pair of 1-0 contests. Crump will become a Bronco next year at Boise State.

MP - Kamerin May (Santiago, Corona) Jr.
While Teagan Gerhart of Norco joined Hart's Destiny Rodino on the L.A. Times all-star team as pitchers, May was the Riverside County player of the year. She actually led Santiago to three wins in head-to-head matchups against the Cougars. She had a 26-4 mark in the circle with a 0.73 ERA and had 17 shutouts. May, who also struck out 311 batters, showed she could do more than just pitch as she hit .400 with six homers and 30 RBI.

MP - Michelle Moses (Paso Robles) Sr.
Did it all for the Bearcats in the circle and at the plate as she was named San Luis Obispo County's Player of the Year. Rebounding from an off-season injury, she went 12-2 with a 0.48 ERA. In 101.1 innings, she struck out 204, allowing just seven earned runs. Moses struck out 17 in four different seven-inning games and struck out a season-high 18 in a 12-inning loss to San Luis Obispo. She also hit .416 on the year with 11 homers and 31 RBI. Moses has a scholarship to attend Fresno State.

MP - Keilani Ricketts (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Jr.
The San Jose Mercury-News and San Francisco Chronicle Player of the Year won 11 straight games to open the season before suffering her lone loss of the year in the West Catholic Athletic League championship game in which she struck out 21 and gave up just one hit which was a solo homer in the 10th inning against Belmont of Notre Dame. Ricketts pitched 87 innings on the year allowing just two earned runs for an ERA of 0.30. She has already committed to Oklahoma and struck out 172 this season while walking 14 and at the plate hit .525.

MP - Jessica Spigner (Valencia) Sr.
Our previously named Ms. Softball State Player of the Year led the Vikings to their second straight CIF Southern Section Division I championship. In the circle, she picked up 29 wins with a 0.62 ERA and struck out 222 in her new role of staff ace. Headed to Tennessee to play infield, she showed why as she hit .480 with 12 homers, 38 RBI and scored 37 times. During one playoff game, she hit two homers off fellow all state selectee Kamerin May and picked up the win in a 3-2 semifinal win over Santiago of Corona.

MP - Hannah Williams (Freedom, Oakley) Jr.
Younger sister of 2006 Ms. Softball Player of the Year Amanda Williams was named to the San Francisco Chronicle's All-Metro team. Unlike her sister, who was mostly a pitcher, Hannah is a threat pitching and hitting. In 27 starts, she rang up 25 wins with two losses allowing just 11 runs in 173 innings for a 0.45 ERA. Williams also struck out 265 while walking just 25 and reached double-digit strikeouts in 15 games. She also hit .386, going 27-for-70 with 24 RBI and 16 walks while striking out just four times.

ALL-STATE SOFTBALL
SECOND TEAM OVERALL

C - Nikole Afusia (Ocean View, Huntington Beach) Sr.

	Alyssa Nakken led Woodland to a Sac-Joaquin Section title.

C - Maile Kim (Notre Dame, Salinas) Sr.

C - Amy Moore (Valencia) Jr.

C - Nikki Moreno (Tracy) Sr.

C - Jessica Shults (Hart, Newhall) Jr.

P - Allee Allen (Kennedy, La Palma) Sr.

P - Rachel Brown (Scripps Ranch, San Diego) Sr.

P - Jessica Lemmon (Castro Valley) Sr.

P - Jessica McDermott (Mt. Carmel, San Diego) Sr.

P - Kylie Wagner (El Modena, Orange) Sr.

INF - Kristen Arriola (Pacifica, Garden Grove) Sr.

INF - Barthinia Bates (Victor Valley, Victorville) Jr.

INF - Kendal Hennings (El Toro, Lake Forest) Sr.

INF - Alexa Rivera (Sheldon, Sacramento) Sr.

INF - Jackie Serna (Corona) Sr.

INF - Madison Shipman (Valencia) Soph.

INF - Nani St. Germain (Ayala, Chino Hills) Jr.

OF - Jody Badorine (Madera) Sr.

OF - Kelly Cunningham (Carlmont, Belmont) Sr.

OF - Alyssa Kirk (Tulare) Sr.

OF - Elia Reid (Kennedy, La Palma) Sr.

OF - Brianna Stephan (Simi Valley) Jr.

OF - Megan Suitos (Elk Grove) Sr.

MP - Emily Allard (Deer Valley, Antioch) Sr.

MP - Rebecca Arbino (Clovis) Sr.

MP - MacKenzey Bard (Napa) Sr.

MP - Jenny Lahitte (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Soph.

MP - Kristy Miller (California, San Ramon) Sr.

MP - Alyssa Nakken (Woodland) Sr.

MP - MacKenzie Oakes (Stockdale, Bakersfield) Sr.